Symptoms Of A Heart Attack
by Too Rare To Die
Summary: Slight AU. " And the last thing she sees is Riley. Sweet, sweet Riley. Whose eyes are as vibrant as ever. Whose touch still sets fire to Maya's skin. Whose kiss makes Maya feel like she's kissing the embodiment of all things good and right." Rilaya
1. Chapter 1

**_Myocardial infarction, or a heart attack, is the number one killer of men and women across the world. Symptoms include tightness/pain in the chest, lightheadedness, abnormal heart beat, and anxiety. Most heart attacks are caused by..._**

 _Symptom #1: Her eyes_

Maya isn't quite old enough to know, but somehow, deep down, she knows; it's her eyes. More than half of the world's population have brown eyes, so there shouldn't be anything unique about her eyes but _there is._ And three year old Maya spends a good five minutes staring into her eyes as three year old Riley Matthews smiles back at her. Neither of them speak, mostly due to the fact of not knowing many words. Maya takes this time to try and figure out what's so special about her eyes. Daddy has brown eyes, Nan has brown eyes, the ice cream man has brown eyes. So what's so special about this girl's eyes?

"I'm Ri-ri... Rile-Riley." The smile never leaves her face, even though all she gets in response is a blank stare. That's when Maya figures it out. It's the sparkle, the life in her eyes. Daddy's eyes almost never sparkle. There's only an artificial sparkle when he's drinking from a bottle that Mommy never lets her touch. Nan's eyes don't have the same sparkle as her eyes in the pictures she likes to show Maya when she visits. Sometimes, the ice cream man's eyes sparkle when he's looking at Mommy but Maya doesn't like his sparkle. Maya never likes seeing that sparkle directed at Mommy. But this Riley girl's sparkle is like nothing she's ever seen before. These eyes sparkle without the help of a bottle, without the help of youth, and without the help of Mommy. Maya's instantly drawn to the girl, and doesn't protest when she takes her hand and leads her to meet her parents.

Three year old Maya does question the tightness in her chest when she's looking into Riley's eyes, and is tempted to tell her mother about it when she gets home but decides against it when she sees Mommy crying on the couch and Daddy's nowhere to be found.

...

Maya's in the second grade when she starts to feel the pain. It's not the same tug on her heart when she's looking into Riley's eyes. This time it hurts to stare into her eyes staring into his. Dylan Stratner has stolen Riley's heart, and her sparkle.

Second graders really have no business dating but Riley's had fairytales and happy endings drilled into her head since day one, so it's no surprise to Maya when Riley brings it up at the lunch table. "I need a boyfriend."

Maya bites back the urge to ask her just why she can't have a _girlfriend_ instead. She doesn't even know why the thought of asking her that comes across her mind, but she doesn't question it. "Riley, we're only seven. Boyfriends don't come until middle school. Besides, just think of what your dad would do if he found out."

As soon as the pout comes, Maya wants to do everything in her power to wipe it off Riley's face. Frowns shouldn't ever be on Riley's face. "But Missy and Kyle are girlfriend and boyfriend, and I think that me and Dylan would make the perfectest couple."

It was at that lunch table, while chewing on a burger that didn't even taste like it came from an animal, let alone a cow, that Maya felt her first pain. It wasn't anything major but it still hurt like someone stuck a needle straight through her heart. It hurt enough for Maya to grab her chest in surprise and to evoke the concern of Riley. "You okay, Maya?"

Maya swallowed and waited for the pain to pass before answering. "Yeah. I'm okay, Riles."

Later, after Dylan moved to California and his spell on Riley was broken, Maya braved asking Riley what she saw in him.

"It was his eyes. His sparkling blue eyes."

 _Symptom #2: Her touch_

Touching each other wasn't new. Oh no, it was the exact opposite. In fact, during their first meeting, one of the first things they did was touch. But, that was back when they were three. Now, they're ten and things are different. Holding hands was the norm, and it didn't make Maya feel anything like that one day in the second grade. Which Maya chalked up to couples and missing her mom and dad as a couple. Yeah, Maya chalks up anything negative in her life to being something related to her dad. It usually is.

But, it's the first day of the fifth grade and Riley's holding her hand, still. She holds her hand as soon as Maya steps through the bay window, holds her hand through another one of Topanga's famous oatmeal breakfasts, holds her hand through another one of Mr. Matthews' spiels about 'not doing something that he wouldn't do', holds her hand through Mr. Matthews driving them to school, and even holds her hand as they walk through the front doors of school. It's not that Maya's not a touchy-feely person(Riley turned her into one). It's the simple fact that they've never held hands for this long. Maya's never gotten to to feel the constant and radiant warmth from Riley for this long. She's never had the chance to ponder on how _right_ it feels to hold her hand. She figures that this is something normal for best friends to feel, this feeling of _knowing_ that you're supposed to be together. As friends, of course.

So walking through the halls, to their new teacher(because fate always puts them in the same class), to the new school year, Riley's hand is the only thing keeping Maya tethered to the world. Until it's not.

Maya comes crashing down from the heavens to see _her_ girl talking to Zachary McKellan. He was Dylan's best friend before he moved. Maya can read his lips saying something along the lines of "I miss him too" before moving in to give her a hug. He gives _her_ Riley a hug. After that, she promptly passes out.

She wakes up in the nurse's office to Riley holding her hand. The smile that she's greeted with is enough to sooth the ache at the back of her head. "Hey."

Maya slowly sits up, wincing as she does so. "Hi. What happened?"

"You passed out. The nurse says it may have been a lack of fluids or maybe first day jitters."

Maya's eyebrows furrow. "Then why are you here? I'm sure that they aren't supposed to let you skip your classes to hang out in the nurse's office."

Maya smiles at the blush that forms on her girl's cheeks, but it quickly vanishes as soon as Riley shows her her hand. Her knuckles are bruised and bloodied. Maya's used to seeing her knuckles look like that, not Riley's. "What happened?!"

Riley smiles nervously. "Well, after you were taken to the nurse, I had to stay in class. And I guess with you gone, Zach saw an opportunity to make a move on me and he tried to kiss me. But I didn't want him to kiss me, so I kinda..."

"Nailed him in the face," Maya nods her approval. "Wait, why would he think me being there would make any difference?"

Riley tucks her hair behind her ear. "Well, you're sort of my protector. If he wants anything to do with me, he has to go through you first."

Maya brushes her thumb across Riley's unbruised knuckles. "Why didn't you want him to kiss you?"

Maya doesn't know why she wants her answer to be something like, "Because he wasn't you" or some romcom crap like that, but she does. "I want my first kiss to be with someone special to me."

"How about me?" Maya backtracks before she can stick her foot further into her mouth. "You know, just to get it over with so you won't have to punch anymore boys in the face."

Riley thinks it over for a second before shrugging and leaning in. "Couldn't hurt, " Riley says as she stares into her eyes.

 _Yeah,_ Maya thinks as her eyes flutter shut. _Could't hurt a bit._

 _Symptom #3: Her kiss_

It's the first day of seventh grade and they still haven't talked about their kiss yet. Maya doesn't mind it though; the hand holding has increased and the way Riley looks at her has changed. Maya still thinks that they're demonstrating perfectly normal best friend behavior; her mom and dad had never held hands or stared longingly at each other so these are obviously things that friends do.

However, there are still some peculiarities. Like, the tightness in her chest occurs more frequently. That could be because Riley's developing crushes on boys left and right, but that couldn't be it. After all, Nan died of some heart condition so it's only logical that Maya has a heart problem herself. And then there's the lightheadedness she feels whenever she catches Riley staring at her lips. But Maya thinks that's just because she's started wearing lip gloss and Riley's attracted to shiny and sparkly things.

Anyways, overall, 12 and a half year old Maya's life is pretty good. Up until Ranger Rick. Who saunters onto the subway car like he just got back from filming a Clint Eastwood movie. Mr. Matthews would've driven them to school, but Maya just _had_ to open her big mouth and sprout some garbage about making the world their own and growing up and Maya has _never_ regretted a decision more than this one. Because Riley gets this look in her eyes, the sparkle that has always been there has intensified to a brightness that could rival the sun. And Maya knows, she _knows_ that this guy isn't a Dylan or a Zach or a Jeffrey or a Nathan. This isn't another one of Riley's fleeting crushes. And judging by the way that he looks back at her, this is the real deal for him too.

So Maya pushes down the pain in her heart and shoves _her_ girl into _his_ arms. After all, that's what friends are supposed to do.

...

"Bay window. Now."

It's been four months of the school year and Maya already wants to throw herself off a building. Between Mr. Matthews' ridiculous homework assignments and the development of Rucas, Maya's life has went from a blissful heaven to a horrible hell.

Before Maya can ask Riley why they need to go to the bay window, she's already being dragged against her will. And she can't even argue because Riley's holding her hand and it's been months since they last held hands. Maya suspects that has something to do with Ranger Rick thinking they were girlfriends the first time they met him. He had the audacity to say that he's never met best friends who hold hands as much as they do. Riley hasn't held her hand since. Stupid influential Texan accent.

Maya takes her seat as Riley begins to pace her room. Maya makes herself comfortable, because once Riley starts pacing, you're in for a lot of rambling. "What's up, hun?"

Riley briefly pauses her pacing to look at Maya before letting out a groan and continuing. "Lucas. Lucas is what's up. Now that he's up, I'm down and I'm gonna stay down and never get back up again because if I get back up, he'll see me and I'll never want him to see me again once I mess this up-"

"Woah woah woah," Maya holds up a hand to silence her friend. "What?"

"Lucas asked me out."

"Oh."

Riley runs a hand through her hair. "And I'm pretty sure that first date equals first kiss and I'm worried that I won't be a good enough kisser."

"Oh."

"I mean, Texas boys move fast right? He probably had his first kiss when he was two. He's probably kissed at least a thousand girls and I'm afraid I won't measure up."

"Oh."

Riley stomps over to Maya and places her hands on her shoulders. She violently shakes her. "Maya. Please say something other than 'oh'. I really need your help with this."

Maya finally pulls her eyes away from staring at the floor and looks at her friend. She puts her hand on Riley's cheek and pulls her closer. She had originally planned on staring into Riley's eyes and telling her to chill out, but her lips have a mind of their own as they find Riley's. The kiss is brief, it lasts maybe a second but it has Maya's heart racing at the speed of light.

Riley pulls back and looks at Maya curiously. "Wha-"

"Shhhh, " Maya says as she pulls Riley back into her. "Practice makes perfect, right?"

Riley shrugs and whispers on Maya's lips, "Couldn't hurt."

 _No,_ Maya thinks as she grabs a fistful of Riley's shirt. _I think, this time, it's gonna hurt._

...

Riley comes home from her date. She tells Maya that her date was perfect, and that her kiss with Lucas was perfect. Maya pretends that her heart isn't shattered like a piece of fragile glass.

 _Symptom #4: **her.**_

Maya's fifteen when she finally figures it out. It takes twelve years of friendship for her to realize it. She supposes she can blame her mom and dad's relationship for blinding her. How do you know you're in love when you've never had an example to learn from? Well, she had Corey and Topanga's example, but she learned from an early age to never use their relationship as a model. A love like that doesn't happen twice.

It's at spring formal. Rucas is dead and never coming back, but there's a new guy now. Charlie. Or, as Riley likes to say, "Charlieee."*insert heart eyes and girlish squeal here* And Charlie isn't the only new guy, apparently. Shawn, who strolled into Maya's life when she was thirteen, has finally learned to trust Katy, and Katy's putting all of her trust in Shawn. It's weird seeing her mom with another man, but at least it's not the creepy ice cream man from when Maya was three or a guy who loves his beer more than he loves his wife and child.

After the students are all pumped up from 'Geronimo', the DJ kicks out some slow tunes for the couples. Riley and Charlie automatically join together, Farkle grabs a random girl and has her swooning in his arms in seconds. This new look is really working out in his favor with the ladies.

The only people who are left are her and Ranger Rick. He nods in the direction of the dance floor and Maya follows, seeing no reason not to. She places her arms around his neck, and his hands go to her waist. They slowly sway to the beat. "Soooo..."

Maya rolls her eyes at his attempt at small talk. "Soooo..."

He smiles down at her. "How ya doing?"

His accent has improved significantly and you can barely even tell that he's from Texas anymore. "Eh. The fact that I'm dancing with _you_ should tell you all that you need to know."

Ranger Rick feigns being hurt. "I take offense to that. I'll have you know that I won first prize at the county fair for square dancing." He chooses that moment to spin her away from him before bringing her back towards him.

Maya chuckles. "That spin was so offbeat. Come on, Rick. I thought you were better than that."

Lucas gives her a wry smile before twirling her again. "Seriously though, Maya. How are you doing?"

Maya risks a glance at Charlie and Riley. She watches as her girl laughs at something Charlie said. "I could be better."

Lucas turns to where Maya is staring at and nods. "Yeah. I know it's tough. Watching the girl you're in love with fall in love with someone else."

Maya's gaze snaps back to Lucas. "Woah woah. Slow down, cowboy. What do you think you're talking about?"

An eyebrow raised, Lucas stares confusedly at Maya before realization dawns on him. "Oh. You haven't fig-?" He let's go of Maya's waist and begins to back away from her. "I-uh.. think I said too much."

Maya tightens her grip around Lucas's neck to prevent him from escaping. "No. You're not moving until you explain yourself, Ranger Rick."

Sweat is literally trickling down Lucas's neck. It may be because of the anger in Maya's eyes. Or maybe it's the desperation for clarity in them. "Oh, alright. It really isn't my place to tell you this. It's something that you should figure out yourself but, seeing as my life is on the line, I'll tell you.

See, my first suspicion started with you two holding hands a lot. But then you told me you two weren't a couple and I let it go for a while. However, I kept seeing signs of one of you being in love with the other. I saw the way you reacted to her presence and to her touch. I saw how heartbroken you looked when you saw her with Charlie. And, with her being your first kiss, I knew you wanted her as more than a friend."

Maya, still reeling from his confession and psychoanalysis of her life, can only gawk at him before she finally catches on to one point. "Wait, how did you know that-"

"Riley was your first kiss? A little birdie told me before we shared a kiss. Yeah, that's actually why we only went on one date. I figured that there was no way I could compete against her best friend _and_ first kiss."

"What makes you think there's competition? Hell, how do you know for sure that I'm in love with Riley? _I_ don't even know."

Lucas smiles and nods at her. "Oh I know. The way that you look at her is the same way I used to look at her."

Maya looks over Lucas's shoulder again to see Charlie leaning in to kiss Riley and she _knows._ She knows what she didn't know as a three year old. She knows what she denied as a seven year old. She knows what she ignored as a ten year old. She knows what she should've known as a twelve year old.

Maya Hart is in love with Riley Matthews.

She should've seen it sooner.

As soon as Charlie's lips touch Riley's, Maya's heart cracks and cracks until it bursts into unidentifiable shrapnel. She feels her heart rate elevate until she sees stars and her grip on Lucas has grown deadly in force. Her breathing speeds up as her knees weaken and the last thing she sees is Riley. Sweet, sweet Riley. Whose eyes are as vibrant as ever. Whose touch still sets fire to Maya's skin. Whose kiss makes Maya feel as though she's kissing the embodiment of all things right and good.

However, now her eyes are filled with tears, and her touch is being used to desperately get Maya to wake up.

 _ **Most heart attacks can be prevented by identifying the symptoms early on. Treatment after having a heart attack can include...**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: A bit Lucas-centric. I couldn't just leave the story on that note._**

 _"Hey. I'm Zay."_

 _Lucas looked up at the source. Lucas wasn't the most social butterfly in Mrs. Porter's kindergarten class; he mostly kept to himself. And the other kids seemed to understand this aspect about the Friar boy. Well, maybe not this one. Now, Lucas isn't one for impoliteness so he wasn't gonna flat out tell the kid to leave him alone. Lucas forced a smile and said, "Cool."_

 _Turning around to continue to work on his crayon drawing of his family, Lucas didn't expect the kid to pull up a chair and plop down next to him. "Whatcha drawin'?"_

 _Lucas refrained from sighing and instead opted for the sarcastic route. "A picture."_

 _Unfortunately, this kid still didn't get the picture. "Of what?"_

 _Lucas tightened his grip on his crayon. Even as a five year old, he had quite the temper. "Boy, you sure do ask alotta questions."_

 _"And you sure don't have alotta answers. Come on, kid. I'm tryin' to start a friendship here, gimme something to work with. You know, when someone tells you their name, the normal thing to do is to answer with your name."_

 _Lucas's crayon snapped in half. "Fine, fine. My name is Lucas Henry Friar, I'm drawing a picture of me and my pa, and you are one annoying guy. Happy? Can you leave me alone now?"_

 _Zay shook his head and looked over Lucas's shoulder to better see the drawing. "Where's your ma?"_

 _Lucas closed his eyes, near crying tears of frustration and sadness. Luckily, Zay noticed this and kept quiet, waiting for Lucas to collect himself. After a few minutes, Zay put his hand on Lucas's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or brought up something you don't wanna talk about. Mama's always telling me how I need to be more tactful, whatever that means. I think she forgets that I don't know as many big words as she does." Lucas snorted at that. "But, I wanted to know if you wanted to come over my house for a sleepover."_

 _Lucas wiped at his eyes before giving Zay an incredulous look. "I just met you."_

 _Zay nodded his head excitedly. "That's the point! We get to know each other at the sleepover. Please say yes. Mama just bought the new Grand Theft Cattle."_

 _Lucas's face lit up in recognition. "You have GTC 3?!"_

 _"Yup," Zay said smugly. "I have that Grand Theft Auto game, too, but it's not as fun as GTC."_

 _Lucas bit his lip. Pa would definitely say no. Lucas had no idea why, but Pa seemed uncomfortable with people who weren't the same color as him. However, Pa had the late shift tonight, so Lucas would've been by himself anyways. "Mmm, okay. But I can't stay the night."_

 _"Fine by me." Zay put an arm around Lucas's shoulders. "I can tell that this is the start of a good friendship."_

 _..._

"Maya! Maya, wake up. Peaches, please don't leave me. Wake up!"

Lucas watches as Riley literally falls apart. With every second that passes, Riley becomes more distraught and frantic. Charlie left to go get the nurse a couple of minutes ago but it feels like ages. He knew that Maya would take the news badly, but not this badly. Riley suddenly snaps her head up at Lucas.

" _What did you do?"_

The venom in her voice is enough to make Lucas take a cautious step back. With smudged mascara and her red and puffy eyes, sweet Riley now looks like fresh-out-of-hell Riley. The crowd behind them looking expectantly at Lucas doesn't help. "I didn't do anything."

Riley laughs humorlessly. "Right. So this all happened for no reason?"

Lucas isn't able to meet her eyes. "Well, we were talking and I guess she sorta panicked.."

"What were you talking about to make my Maya panic? She's Maya, she doesn't panic or flip out. She's cool, calm, and collected and now she's-" Riley hiccups and the waterworks are about to start again.

Lucas kneels down to where Riley's sitting on the floor. He hugs her and she's crying on his shoulder. "Hey, hey. It's okay. She's still breathing. We have to stay calm until Charlie gets back with the nurse." Riley isn't sobbing as violently as she was before so Lucas counts that as a win. "It'll be okay. It'll all be okay."

...

 _"Shhh, it'll be okay, bud. Just let it all out."_

 _"Why couldn't it have been me? She didn't deserve it. She was a good person! It should've been me."_

 _"Hey! Shut up."_

 _Lucas immediately stopped his bawling. A second ago, Zay had been consoling him and telling him to let it all out and now he was telling him to shut up? "What?"_

 _"Don't you_ ever _say any crap like that again. You need to stop blaming yourself and you need to realize that it shouldn't have been you. Stuff like that happens all the time. Sometimes the mothers die, sometimes the babies die. Would you really want your mom alive with the grief of your stillbirth? Would you really have wanted your parents to go through that?"_

 _Lucas tried to wipe his tears away but they wouldn't relent. "Zay, she died, just so I could be born. That's not something you can let go."_

 _Zay nodded, a sympathetic smile on his face. "I know. And I'm not telling you to. All I'm sayin' is to accept it. The past is the past, and there's nothin' you can do to change it. Don't let it dictate your life."_

 _"Okay, man," Lucas sniffed. "I'll try. Hey, where's that birthday present you promised me?"_

 _Zay took Lucas's weak smile as a sign of Lucas trying, and happily pulled Lucas's gift out from under his bed. "Aw, man. You're gonna love this..."_

 _..._

"Okay, kids. You're all going to need to back up and let me do my job," Nurse Velma says.

Lucas makes way for the nurse to get to Maya, but Riley won't budge. She's gripping Maya's hand like her life depends on it and it probably does. The nurse gently nudges Riley. "Sweetie, you have to move."

Riley adamantly shakes her head. "No. No, I'm not leaving her side."

On a normal occasion, Nurse Velma would've argued but, given the circumstances and the death clamp Riley has on Maya's limp hand, she can allow it just this once. "Fine. Just make sure to stay out of the way."

...

 _"Get outta the way, Zay."_

 _The boy in question stood firm, arms crossed at his chest. "No. I'm not moving."_

 _"Whatever," Lucas said as he tried to go around Zay. He threw his hands up in resignation as he was met with the boy blocking his path, yet again. "Ugnh, I don't understand why you're so against this!"_

 _"Because them!" Zay yelled as he pointed behind him to the football players running laps on the field. "They're not us! But you wanna be one of them?! The same kids who used to bully me and torment you? The same kids we used to crack jokes about during a nice game of Call of Duty? When did videogames become not good enough? When did you turn into Mr. Sporty? This came outta nowhere!"_

 _Lucas clenched his fists, praying to God Almighty to help him restrain his anger. "No. No no no no._ You're _the one who's always cracking jokes. I've always sat back and listened. I've always been the sporty guy, you've just always been holding me back!"_

 _The irrevocable words seemed to reverberate in the silence between them. Finally, Zay scoffed and walked away. But not before saying, "Huh, guess I was wrong. You're already one of them."_

 _..._

"Good news. Well, not exactly 'good news' per say. Maya's fine. It looks like she had a panic attack, most likely due to elevated stress levels. I have no idea what triggered it though. Just let her lie down in my office until her mother or Mr. Matthews comes to pick her up."

Lucas raises his hand. "I'll carry her to your office."

"I'll help," Charlie offers. Lucas knows he's a good guy, but he's been messing everything up lately between Riley and Maya. And if something's screwing with his two favorite girls, than that thing is screwing with Lucas too.

Lucas shrugs and picks up Maya bridal style. "That's unnecessary. You coming, Riles?"

Riley seems to have visibly calmed since the nurse arrived, but she won't look anywhere else besides at Maya. It's as if she's afraid that Maya'll disappear if she takes her eyes off her. "Of course I am."

Charlie braves tapping her on the shoulder. She doesn't look back at him. "Uhm. I could come with you, Riley. In case you need some support."

Lucas wants to tell him that she has all the support she needs right here, from him and Maya, conscious or not. But he knows how bitter that would sound, and Lucas Friar is not a bitter person. Besides, that decision is up to Riley. Riley's grip on Maya's hand has significantly slacked and she has now resorted to drawing little patterns with the pad of her thumb. Knowing her, it's probably something cat themed. "No, that'll be alright, Charlie. I-I need to be alone with my best friends," she looks up at Lucas, only for a second, before she turns her attention back to Maya. "One of them has some explaining to do."

"Ah, shit," Lucas mutters to himself.

...

 _"Ho-oh, oh crap!" Lucas whisper-yelled as he lost his grip on the panel on the side of the house. What had seemed like a good idea a few minutes ago, now felt like a couple of cracked ribs, at least._

 _Zay poked his head outside of his window. "Who's out there?"_

 _"A broken, freshly recruited football player," Lucas said through gritted teeth. He really wished he had thought this through._

 _"Lucas? Dagnabbit, I'll be right there. Just hold on."_

 _Lucas cringed as another sharp jolt of pain rang throughout his side. "Not like I'm able to move anywhere."_

 _It wasn't long before Lucas found himself staring up at Zay, who could barely contain his laughter. Zay shook his head and sat down next to Lucas on the ground. "Lemme guess. You were tryin to scale my wall like some sort of ninja."_

 _"Yup."_

 _"But then you realized that cowboys just aren't cut out for ninjaing..."_

 _"Mmhmm."_

 _"And fell down faster than a five year old on Judy the Sheep." Zay finished with a cocky smirk._

 _"Shut up," Lucas laughed as he attempted to punch Zay in the arm. He wasn't able to move very far because the pain only intensified. "You know me so well."_

 _The smirk fell from Zay's face. "Yeah, but not as well as I thought I did. Why are you here anyways? Don't you have some innocent kids to pick on?"_

 _"Come on, Zay. You know why I'm here. You know I didn't mean what I said. We- uhm, could you help me up?"_

 _Zay stood up from his spot on the ground and dusted his pants off. "You sure about that? Wouldn't want to hold you back now, would I?"_

 _Lucas sighed. He knew this wouldn't be easy. "Zay. Please."_

 _Zay shook his head and extended his hand. After helping Lucas to his feet, he started to make his way back into his house._

 _"Hey. Will you wait up? We're not done talking."_

 _Zay didn't stop or turn around. "Yes. We are."_

 _..._

"Riles...it's really not my place to tell you. I already spilled one secret tonight. I'm not spilling another one."

Riley stands up from her spot next to Maya on the nurse's office's bed. She moves closer to Lucas and pokes him in the chest with every word she utters. "Anything. That. Hurts. Maya. Hurts. Me. She is my life, my happiness. If you're keeping something from me about what's hurting her, I will hurt _you._ "

"Riley, s-"

"Why won't you just tell me what you were talking about? What was so bad about it that you have to keep it from me? We're supposed to be friends. Friends don't hide things from each other. If you're hiding things from me, then I guess we're just not friends." The silence between them is deafening.

"Riley," a small voice utters from the bed. Riley immediately rushes to Maya's side. "It's not his fault."

"Oh, Peaches. What happened? Why did it happen? Wha-"

Maya shuts her girl up with a kiss. Lucas feels awkward standing there. He feels like he's intruding on a private and special moment. But the last thing Riley said to him has his feet glued to the floor. Maya pulls away and stares deeply into Riley's eyes. "I love you."

Riley lets out a confused giggle. "I love you, too, Maya. But what does that kiss have to do with anything?"

Maya weakly shakes her head. "No. Not like that. I _love_ you."

The panic on Riley's face is familiar to Lucas.

...

 _Zay cradled Lucas's helmet-clad head in his arms. Tears were streaming down his face as the on-scene paramedics called for an ambulance. "See? You idiot. You should've listened to me."_

 _Lucas chuckled, but it was strained. "This is the first time you've talked to me in a month."_

 _"Yeah. Well, I had a good reason not to."_

 _"And I have yet to hear that reason."_

 _Zay bristled at that. "What? I've already told you my reasons. You're hanging out with those meatheads and"_

 _"Zay. I may have just gotten a concussion, but I'm not stupid. I can tell when you're lying."_

 _Zay's eyes shifted around the football field. "I have no idea what you're talking about."_

 _"Isaiah."_

 _Zay scoffed. "Okay,_ mom." _They both laughed at that. " You know I was telling the truth about not liking them because they're bullies. But I never told you the reason why they bullied me."_

 _Lucas looked at him curiously. "Why?"_

 _"Well," Zay wrung his hands, "They saw me always hanging around you and smiling and laughing at you, and they got to thinking that I...have feelings for you."_

 _Lucas heartily chuckled. "That's all? Well, all we have to do is tell them that's it not true, that we're just buds. They've got it all wrong, right Zay?"_

 _Zay didn't answer, instead keeping his eyes trained on the ground. The smile disappeared from Lucas's face. "Right Zay?"_

 _Zay refused to meet Lucas's gaze. Even after the paramedics placed Lucas on the stretcher and then into the ambulance, Zay kept his eyes on the ground. That was the last time Lucas saw Zay, his father hastily moving them out of Texas after getting word of Zay's feelings for Lucas. In a way, Lucas was grateful for his racist, homophobic father. He couldn't stand the thought of facing Zay again and having to tell him that he didn't feel the same. He wished he felt the same._

 _..._

Riley's panicked expression mirrors Maya's fearful expression.

Lucas watches, anticipating history's torturous repetition.

 **A/N: Thanks for the reviews ;-).**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Most heart attacks can be prevented by identifying the symptoms early on...**_

 _1: by identifying the tightness and pain of the heart._

Corey Matthews has never been considered much of a smart guy. Sure, he's definitely the type of guy to go to for advice or maybe his opinion on certain things. But never for the intellectual things in life. In fact, the only reason people come to him for advice is because of his experience with utter stupidity. Well, that and his experience with love. Even three year olds could sense that Corey was decently knowledgeable regarding love. Which is why three year old Riley Matthews waddles over, tugs on his pants leg, and looks at him with a question in her eyes.

Corey hoists her up into his arms with his own question in his eyes. "What's up, Riles?"

The three year old tentatively points to her heart and answers, "Owie."

Now, here's where the fatherly instincts should kick in. The first response Corey has to any emergency is to call Topanga. But, after a quick once over of his daughter, he decides that Topanga isn't needed, for once. The confusion in his daughter's eyes reminds him of himself, at a younger age. And the chest pain sounds quite familiar. He gives Riley a small smile and points to his own heart. "Is it a good owie?"

Riley smiles brightly back at him and nods. With the initial compassion gone, now comes the terror only a parent like Corey can have. The smile immediately disappears from his face. "It's a good owie?! It's a boy owie?! Riles, you're only three, it can't be a boy owie. Besides, you haven't even been around any boys today. The only new person you've met today is that gir-" Corey pauses in his panic and looks at Riley who's staring at him with so much innocence it nearly breaks his heart. She has no idea what she's in for. "Oh."

He takes a seat on the couch with Riley sitting on his knee. He's at a loss for words, which is shocking because he's usually the one rambling in these types of situations. But it's his daughter. And she's three. Corey has no problem with the cause of Riley's heartache being a girl, it's just... He thought he had more time before Riley started to fall in love. He thought he had more time to prepare her for the ups and downs of relationships and soul mates and... He just thought he had more time. So, he curls up on the couch with his daughter lying beside him.

When Topanga returns home from work a couple of hours later to find her husband staring off into space and her daughter asleep next to him on the couch, she puts her briefcase down next to the door and sits down on the floor in front of Corey. She grabs ahold of his hand and whispers, "You okay?"

Corey nods in response. "Yeah, I'm okay. But I don't think that Riley will be."

...

"You can't keep them apart."

Corey runs a shaking hand through his hair. He's already found several gray strands, all of which Topanga has mercilessly teased him for, and he's only in his twenties. Is it unreasonable for him to blame that on his three year old? "I know. I'm not gunna keep them apart. I'm just putting a reasonable distance between them for a reasonable time period."

His wife gives him that famous 'Topanga Stare' and he already knows he's lost this argument. He lets out his famous 'Pitiful Corey Whine' before attempting to explain himself again. "She's too young."

Topanga uncrosses her arms and stares deep into her husband's eyes. "You of all people shoud know that you're never to young to fall in love."

Corey sighs, finally accepting defeat. "I know. And I know that I can't protect her from everything but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to try."

Topanga pulls him into a hug, letting his head rest on her shoulder despite the height difference. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't. But you have to let her figure this one out on her own. Besides, she's three. It's not like they're gonna run off together and get married. We've got at least five more years before that happens."

"Ah, she jokes while I'm dying inside. You're a spectacular wife, Topanga."

Topanga rolls her eyes, continuing to rub her husband's back. "I know I am."

 _2: by consulting a doctor._

Farkle saw it from the moment he met them. He's a genius, of course he's always known. But he's also always kept his observations to himself. An important factor in every experiment is timing, and it's never seemed like the right time to introduce his friends to his findings. Plus, they're in the fourth grade. They have plenty of time to figure it out for themselves. So it hasn't exactly been at the top of his to-do list. Lately, right above 'Use data and common logic to get Riley and Maya to see that they belong together', 'Win the science fair' has taken precedence. His new invention will surely knock the judges' metaphorical socks off.

"I call it, 'The WIN'!" He looks at Riley to see her excited reaction but only sees confusion.

"'The Win'?"

"The Wireless Incubation Nest. I've decided to go with something more geared towards nature this year. It's similar to a bird house, except it will destroy the bird house industry because it is superior. Like Farkle."

Riley nods her approval. "Nice name."

He smirks. "Yes, I am extremely clever." He's forgetting something. His eyes widen. "Oh! You came here to talk to me about something. My apologies, I got carried away with presenting my invention to you. What did you want to talk about?"

"You're a scientist, right?"

"That is correct."

"And doctors are just scientists who work on humans?"

"That is also correct." He has no idea where she was going with this. Huh. That's a first.

"So, you're almost like a doctor?"

"That's not totally incorrect. I suppose you could say that."

Riley claps her hand together in victory. "Great! Cuz I have a doctor question for you."

"I must warn you. I am not a professional in any way so my answer may not be completely correct." Huh. There's another first.

Riley wrings her hands. Her gaze is on the floor, her posture stiff. Farkle deduces that this must be an uncomfortable question. He grasps her hand in a show of support. "You can tell me anything."

She relaxes a bit before speaking. "Everytime I look at Maya, I-this...this _thing_ happens. It's like when you feel sick, but it doesn't really feel like you're sick. It's tummy aches and sweatiness and a pain right where my heart is, but it's a _good_ pain. I'm sorry if I'm not making sense but I was hoping if you could tell me what this is? I've asked my dad but he avoids answering me and mom just smiles at me when I ask her. Farkle, I'm scared." There are tears forming in the corner of her eyes now.

Farkle's never been efficient at dealing with human emotion. So he awkwardly pats the hand he holds in his and tries to use science to make his friend feel better. "Well, you can't contract a disease by looking at someone, so that explanation is out."

Riley's eyes widen. She hadn't considered if she had caught something. "What if it's a new disease? What if it's Mayaitus? Am I gunna die?!"

Farkle mentally kicks himself. Give him a broken machine, he'll fix it it three minutes flat. Give him a broken girl, he'll find a way to break her more. "That's not possible, Riley. If that existed, don't you think everyone at school would have it as well?"

A look of understanding passes over her. "I guess you're right. So what could it be?"

Oh, how he yearns to tell her. But he knows that he can't because it's not his place. "I do not know."

Riley rests her head in the crook of his neck. "Farkle?"

"Yes?"

"Will you still love Maya and I when we're put in quarantine?"

He chuckles. "I'll love you right through that titanium-enforced door."

 _3: by exercising._

They kissed. They kissed and she didn't die. Riley counts that as a win. A win that she repeats over and over and over in her head. She asks her mom what it means when you can't stop thinking of something. Topanga just smiles at her and goes back to what she was doing. Riley swears she has the most frustrating parents ever.

They haven't talked about it though. Riley doesn't think Maya wants to talk.

Riley keeps thinking about how right it felt and how much she wants to do it again. She wonders if Maya would object to that. She probably would, seeing as it's been 2 years and it hasn't been brought up. She wonders if Maya goes through the same thing that she does. If the butterflies keep her awake at the godawful hours after ten pm. If the kiss is all that she dreams about now. If the knight in her fantasies took off the helmet to reveal flowing blond locks and baby blue ey-.

Suddenly, someone's snapping their fingers in front of her face. "Riles?"

Riley blinks. "Huh?"

Maya smiles up at her. "You kinda zoned out on me for a sec."

Riley blushes and ducks her head. "Sorry. I was in Rileytown again."

Her smile falters, no longer reaching her eyes. "So who's the new prince of Rileytown?"

"There is no prince." Technically, she's not lying. She quirks a brow. "What makes you think it's a prince?"

Maya's eyes brighten for just a second, but Riley catches it anyway. "You never go that deep in to Rileytown unless there's a boy involved."

"Well, there's no boy involved this time." She speaks too soon. A cute boy walks into the car and they share a look. She finds herself thinking that maybe he could be her knight. Maybe his lips are just as soft as Maya's, maybe his touch is just as gentle. She shakes her head. _No one could measure up to Maya. No one could replace her._ But, before she even knows it, she's being pushed towards him, pushed away from the girl who makes her heart beat speed up and slow down at the same time.

...

 _I can still feel her lips on mine._

Sure, she's still tuned into the conversation but her mind is elsewhere. She's on a date for Pete's sake, and all she can think about is-

 _I can_ still _feel her lips on mine._

"Can I kiss you?"

That catches her attention. "What?"

Lucas still has that lovestruck look on his face. "Can I kiss you?"

"I kissed Maya!" She blurts out before she can stop herself. She tries to correct herself. "I mean, she was my first kiss. She's the only person I've ever kissed," she looks up hesitantly. "I just thought you should know."

Lucas smiles. "I don't mind."

They kiss and her mind's telling her it's perfect but her heart's telling her it's not enough.

 _I want her lips back on mine._

 _..._

She comes home and she tells Maya that the date was perfect because, by Riley Standards, it was. But she can't help but think that it would've been better if Maya was there instead of Lucas.

She doesn't tell her best friend of her thoughts. Maybe if she kisses enough boys, it'll be enough to rid her of these feelings.

 _4: **by being happy and healthy.**_

"I _love_ you."

She's with Charlie. Charlie's safe, Charlie won't potentially ruin a twelve year long friendship.

"... _love_ you."

Charlie isn't her life. She won't die if she loses him.

"...you."

He's conventionally attractive. She can see a brief future with him.

"Riley."

She knows she won't be happy though.

"Riles?" Her voice breaks. It cuts through the fog in Riley's head.

"Yes, Peaches?"

Her eyes are teary and her throat sounds raw. "Say something, please."

She doesn't say anything. She lets her lips do the talking.

...

Lucas promptly walks out of the room. He can talk to Riley about what she said tomorrow. For now, he leaves the two girls alone. He has a feeling that they wouldn't have heard him even if he tried talking to them.


End file.
